: I routinely bend eighth inch thick spruce laminations for guide boat ribs and
: canoe stems, using an imported 1680-watt heat gun run on high. It is very
: easy to over bend the strips, and sometimes I have to bend them back. You
: can almost tie knots in them. The flat grain spruce is cut from ordinary
: lumberyard spruce construction 2-by stock, with no wetting. I used to use
: steam and hot soaking - with the heat gun, I can bend up a complete stack
: of laminations before the steamer is even warmed up, and I don't have to
: wait a day or two for the strips to dry out before gluing. The bends are
: tighter, and I get absolutely no springback. I am a believer.... - John

That's great that you are able to make do with laminating thin strips. Just out of curiousity why do you use soft and weak spruce when white oak is much stronger , bends easier and is rot resistant?